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I efteem this interpretation of Grotius as very rational and judicious, and well supported by fcripture analogy. I am well fatisfied with it.

But I will propose another to the reader, and he may compare them. After the direct and pofitive proof I have produced from scripture, that the Me diator will never deliver up his kingdom to the Fal ther, till the laft enemy is fubdued; I no more doubt of the final virtue and happiness of all men than of any thing that is proveable by fcripture evidence. According to St. John, there is a fecond refurrection to happy life. Our Saviour fays that the blafphemy against the holy Ghost shall not be forgiven, neither in this world, neither in the world to come neither in this age, nor in the next 'age. St. John exprefsly informs us that some shall be tormented in the lake of fire for ages of ages, This is the longeft term mentioned in fcripture, for the duration of the future mifery of any part of mankind.

And this term is exactly commenfurate with the reign of the faints with Chrift in the new earth, according to St. John. Now as fome of the wicked will lie in the lake of fire for ages of ages; blafphemers of the holy Ghoft may make a part of this number. And, after they have fuffered the pains of hell, and lain in the lake of fire for ages, they may be forgiven, without any contradiction of the literal expreffions of our Saviour. They have then not been forgiven neither in this world, neither in the world to come; but have fuffered eternal damnation.

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This interpretation is as fatisfactory to my mind as that of Grotius. But, as the utmost that can happen to the blafphemer of the holy Ghoft, is, that he be in danger of eternal damnation; if he muft fuffer this extremity of punishment, it will be no final bar in the way of his enjoyment of that falvation, that will be abfolutely without end.

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Our Saviour, according to what we have recorded, was extremely cautious in his manner of expression, If he had ftudied ever fo long, he could not have expreffed better his great deteftation of the fin of blafphemy againft the holy Ghoft; and, at the fame time, have guarded more effectually than he has done against error. He first fays, as Matthew records it," All manner of fin and blafphemy shall be forgiven unto men; but the blafphemy of the holy Ghoft fhall not be forgiven unto men.”

But leaft a wrong conftruction fhould be put upon what he had already faid, if he left it there; he goes on to an explanation of himfelf; "And whofoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever speaketh against the holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world," or age, "neither in the world," or age, "to come. Mark records it thus, "He that fhall blafpheme against the holy Ghoft, hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation." This verfe is juftly rendered thus, "Whosoever shall blafpheme against the holy

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Ghoft,

Ghoft, hath not forgiveness du not forgiveness during an age; but is guilty of the judgment of an age."

When it is faid, "be hath never forgiveness;" the words rendered never are eis ton aioona; and eternal judgment is, aiooniou krifeoos, judgment that is of the duration of an age; as the words may be juftly and truly rendered.

Finally, the perpetuity of the judgment which the blafphemer against the holy Ghoft is appointed to endure, depends folely on the force of the contefted, equivocal word aioonios, which depends folely for its own force on the nature of the fubject to which it is applied. So that, at the very laft, we have not got one step forward, in determining the certain duration of future mifery.

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Mr. S. ufes an argument, for the endless punish ment of the blafphemer againft the holy Ghoft, which, I think, is extraordinary for à Icholar, and' divine. I have fometimes heard old women make use of it; but did not expect to fee it introduced difcourfe, by a man of learning.

into a grave He fays, P. 34. That thefe words of our Saviour meant a punishment and mifery, which fhall never come to an end, may be argued from the gofpel scheme of recovery. Those who think that it is a reflection on the fufficiency of Chrift's atonement, to fuppofe any fins unpardonable, ought to confider from whence their unpardonablenefs doth arife. It is not from the greatness of those fins compared with other fins; nor for want of fuffi

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ciency in the atonement of Chrift. The holy fpirit hath his part in the work of falvation, and without his awakening, convincing, fanctifying operation, men will never be faved. They will refift truth and duty, and continue in unholiness."

I defire to know what Mr. S. means by this argu ment for the eternal never ending misery of some Linners. Our Saviour fays, "I and my Father are one." God the Father hath declared and fworn, that he is unwilling that any should perish; but that all fhould come to repentance. St. Paul hath tolď us expressly, that God our Saviour will have all men to be faved; and that he hath tafted death for every man. Is it fo, that the holy Ghost opposes and obftructs the falvation of fome men? Then there is not union in the Godhead, in the great affair of human falvation. If this be not Mr. S.'s meaning, I fee no force in his argument. That it is his mean, ing, I do not affirm.

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I have often said that I firmly believe in future punishment of finners. I have no idea that all men are so wife as to know the things of their peace, and to fecure their intereft in the next state of being. Some will be found, at the day of general judgment, to be unprepared for virtuous and holy fociety, and muft, therefore, be excluded from it. That this exclufion will, or will not, be absolutely endless, is the grand point in difpute. Mr. S'.s texts fhow, plainly enough, that there will be future punishment and mifery; but this is not the difputable matter.

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That this punishment and misery will be interminable, they do not prove. So that the important matter in controversy is ftill undecided, by any paffages of fcripture Mr. S. hath brought forward.

I should be willing to attend on Mr. S. and to cite every paffage he hath produced, at full length, and comment upon them all; but I am perfuaded it can be of no fervice to the reader.

To give my reader perfect satisfaction, I will cite one whole fection from Mr. S., both the fcriptures, and his own observations upon them. It is his 10th fec. beginning on p. 36. "Matt. v. 22. But whofoever shall say, thau fool, shall be in danger of bell fire. Could Chrift fay this with truth, if he knew that there is no hell fire, and that all men shall be faved ? Matt. x. 28. Fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the foul; but rather fear him who is able to deftroy both foul and body in bell. 33d. verse. Whosoever shall deny me before men, bim will I also de ny before my Father which is in heaven. Matt. xvi. 25, 26. For whosoever will fave his life, fhall lofe it; and whosoever will lose his life for my fake, shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose bimself.

In the 18th chapter of Matthew, he describes the fearful end of the unmerciful fervant, who hath been forgiven by his Lord, and then says, fo fall my beavenly Father do unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trefpaffes. Would the Son of God have given this defcription, unless there

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